On Friday, the Department of Justice released a document officially charging former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith with falsifying the FBI's infamous FISA warrant against Carter Page. It states that Clinesmith "willfully and knowingly make and use a false writing and document, knowing the same to contain a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and entry in a matter before the jurisdiction of the executive branch and judicial branch of the Government of the United States.” He is expected to plead guilty.
office about a deal. The question in both the 2016 defensive briefing + the altered CIA email is whether Clinesmith acted independently or at the direction of, or with approval of FBI leadership. Plea deals typically involve cooperation. READ pic.twitter.com/5ZzlAcXCHw
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) August 14, 2020
Clinesmith is the first to be charged as a result of U.S. Attorney John Durham's investigation into efforts to spy on the Trump campaign and administration which resulted in a lengthy OIG report. As Sean Davis wrote for The Federalist:
Clinesmith’s deliberate falsification of a federal spy warrant was first revealed last December following a lengthy investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), headed by Michael Horowitz. Horowitz and his team wrote in a 434-page report that Clinesmith — identified in the report as “OGC Attorney” — altered an email from a separate U.S. federal agency, believed to be the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), to falsely state that Page had never worked with the CIA to investigate suspected Russia agents operating within the U.S. In fact, as Clinesmith was told by the operative, Page had worked with the CIA previously, as well as with the FBI.
President Trump commented on the forthcoming plea earlier today:
Kevin Clinesmith, "a corrupt FBI attorney who falsified FISA warrants" in James Comey's FBI, is expected to plead guilty. pic.twitter.com/ucAksf4JZ9
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 14, 2020
Some prominent Republicans took to Twitter to react to the news:
Kevin Clinesmith:
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) August 14, 2020
-Worked for Peter Strzok.
-Deliberately doctored #FISA evidence.
-Bragged about being part of the “resistance.”
The Obama/Biden/Comey Cabal was out to take down President Trump.
Let’s hope there’s more justice to come. https://t.co/D9WnwS1Mun
Today a former top FBI lawyer plead GUILTY to falsifying documents in a FISA warrant against a 2016 Trump campaign official. The implications of this are enormous... we’re getting closer and closer to justice.
— Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) August 14, 2020
The walls are closing in on the Russian collusion hoax.
🚨 Anti-Trump FBI official working for Comey who doctored FISA court docs & spied on Trump will plead GUILTY.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) August 14, 2020
Dems & the media owe Americans an apology for 4 years of hoaxes & a sham impeachment.
Time to hold Obama/Biden’s DOJ accountable.@realDonaldTrump was right all along.
I very much appreciate Inspector General Horowitz, Attorney General Barr, U.S. Attorney Durham, and FBI Director Wray for trying to help right the ship by holding people accountable and restoring credibility to the DOJ and FBI.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 14, 2020
Just yesterday, Attorney General William Barr hinted at the indictment and that more developments would happen in the coming months. Clinesmith is also known for taking part in other facets of Crossfire Hurricane and for exchanging anti-Trump texts with another FBI lawyer following the 2016 Presidential Election.